Rain

It's raining the kind of rain right now where there is nothing you can do but laugh at yourself. Laugh as your jeans soak right through and you feel as though your skin is starting to wrinkle. You laugh as you pass people on the streets because everyone's holding the brim of their hoods so they don't get blown off. You laugh as you try to cross at an intersection but first have to navigate around the puddles pooling at the storm drain. You laugh at those brave souls who thought an umbrella was a good idea today, but who have since realized that the wind is a force to be reckoned with. You laugh at the idea that water falling from the sky can be so unpleasant yet so amusing all at the same time.

And as you approach the dry sanctuary of your home, all you want to do is sit by the window with a cup of tea and watch as the rain falls and as the puddles grow. "I like watchin' the puddles gather rain".

One of my most memorable days working at the campground in Fairmont Hot Springs was the day of the crazy rainfall that resulted in the Calgary flash flooding. We watched all day, from the comfort of the indoors, as the water level of the Columbia River steadily rose. Every few hours, my coworker Natalia and I would put on the yellow rain suits we found in the tool shed and check up on the river's increasing rapids. With every passing hour we would be mind-blown at the progress the rain was making. This was also the day that we broke the golf cart by driving it through a massive puddle and flooding out the engine... oops!

Nat in the stationary golf cart

Rain has always been a part of my life. Growing up in Vancouver (and specifically Deep Cove), to living in Halifax, and finally to spending six months in Bergen on the west coast of Norway; I am no stranger to a little rainfall. In fact, while most people cringe at the idea of venturing outside in the rain, I found enjoyment in going for a soggy jog this morning.

The feeling always brings me back to the Sunday mornings throughout my childhood. Soccer Sundays always seemed to be blessed with liquid sunshine, and as we ran around the puddle-ridden field kicking the ball to our teammates, our parents stood on the sidelines with umbrellas in one hand and their coffee mugs in the other. After the game we would rip off our saturated socks and enjoy the sensation of putting our feet up on the heater of the car; drying off our skin and regaining feeling in our toes.

...... I guess the camera only came out when the sun was out !

One of the many, many things I learned while on exchange in Norway last year (along with how to say "Hvor kan jeg kjøpe et par gode ski?", "Where can I buy a good pair of skis?"), is a motto that the people of Bergen live by:

" There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. "

And I love it. Yes, it rains a lot in the coastal city of Norway. But no, they do not let it stop them from hiking to the summit of Ulriken, or running up the 908 steps of Stoltzekleiven. Norwegians truly embrace precipitation. Without it, there would be no snow on the mountains. No skiing.

Now as I call it a day, I will be falling asleep to the sound of raindrops pattering against my window. The ultimate soothing sound. The melody that brings with it entertainment, comfort, childhood memories, and lessons from Norge.